Bright Thoughts

Imagine taking the subway home from work and simultaneously getting your grocery shopping done. This is a reality in South Korea, where Tesco supermarkets created virtual grocery stores that project on subway station walls. Customers use an app to scan the projected items’ QR codes, and their purchases are delivered shortly after they arrive home from work.

Many business leaders avoid risk because they feel like their margin for error is too slim or they lack confidence in their ability to read the tea leaves. Which of their bets will be a resounding success, and what’s going to be a dismal failure? Make no mistake; failure’s not fun. But taking risk is vital for innovation and growth, and your chances of success often are greater than you think. In a demanding culture where customer needs change frequently, entrepreneurs and business leaders must be willing to step outside of their comfort zones and take calculated risks.

Consumers want to be known individually, and they no longer accept blanket statements. People are distinct in their preferences and their values. They identify with their uniqueness and expect the brands they care about to notice it, too.

Successful brands will not only take notice, but also discover ways to speak creatively and strategically to the individual — rather than simply categorize individuals as part of a group.

Here are four trends that harness the power of the individual to create greater engagement between consumers and brands.

Your company could be a media darling one day and be caught in the eye of a PR storm the next. All major brands will — at some point — be in the midst of a disaster. The best thing you can do is be prepared.

Today’s fast-moving media landscape only raises the bar for authentic engagement with your audiences. Your company also needs to be engaging with the media and other important influencers. Many companies have a great story to tell, but first, they have to listen to the skeptics, engage in conversations, and ultimately nurture relationships built on transparency and trust.

This week is the 2015 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Cannes Lions recognizes and awards the year’s best creative ideas across 16 categories, covering everything from traditional print and film communications to technology and product design.

Cannes Lions believes creativity is the driving force for business, for change and for good. Like Mitchell, the Festival honors and inspires creative bravery to change the course of communications. The awards set a global benchmark for good creative, and the Festival connects those with a similar vision.

Whether you are walking the streets of Cannes or following from across the globe, here's a cheat sheet to get the most out of Cannes Lions.

Through the uncertainty of running a business, one constant remains: You can count on things to change. So why is overcoming change so hard?

By embracing change, you’re inviting the unfamiliar — or the unknown — into your world. And no one likes to be caught off guard, especially business leaders.

In fact, leading an enterprise through a decade of change has been one of the most trying tasks I’ve encountered as a business leader. Surprisingly, riding a motorcycle has taught me about the destination and the journey — both on the road and in the business world.

The exponential growth of Hispanic communities has altered the focus of brand communications. As the authors of Marketing to the New Majority suggest regarding the spike in “minority” audiences – the new mainstream is itself multicultural. As the fabric of the consumer landscape evolves, the intersection of food and family for the Hispanic consumer is ripe with nuanced perspective tied to cultural values and identity.

Hispanic consumers will have a significant impact on food culture in the next five years. NPD Group’s Future of Eating: Who’s Eating What in 2018? predicts that Hispanic preferences and influence will uniquely shape demand and choices in the grocery aisle. Naturally, Hispanics are proportionally represented within the Gen Z (0-23) and Gen Y (24-37) segments; making these younger audiences hyper-relevant for food manufacturers and retailers.

When it comes to food shopping, there’s clear evidence that Hispanic consumers assign special value to fresh grocery options. According to Nielsen research, Hispanic shoppers spend $175 more than the national average annually on fresh foods at traditional grocery stores. The perimeter departments – meat, produce, deli, bakery and seafood – are priorities for Hispanics. Fresh stands for both quality and health; thematics that are increasingly relevant and aspirational for Hispanic consumers. Beyond these value-based reasons, Hispanics are increasingly choosing fresh food because they like cooking from scratch and customizing dishes with personal touches.

What it means + what to think about

The Hispanic shopper engagement dynamic is closely tied to perceived brand voice authenticity. In fact, 54 percent of Hispanics say they’re more loyal to companies that show culture appreciation by communicating in Spanish. Their language represents an important part of their roots and, much like food, it’s a strong cultural connector. Food industry brands from Honey Bunches of Oats to Wendy’s have successfully employed tailored communications and executions to bolster their connectivity with the Hispanic audience.

The Hispanic grocery shopping experience is a multi-generational, family-inclusive and social affair – offering multiple intersection points to cultivate brand advocates. Convenience and value remain important universal needs. However, today’s U.S. Hispanic segment has a fresh perspective with a keen focus on food options that allow them to build their meals rather than just buy them.

Consider some of these approaches to spark engagement with Hispanic consumers in the food aisle:

Kitchen connections:The importance of food and the kitchen as a central pillar of Hispanic culture should not be underestimated. Research shows 75 percent of Hispanic families sit down for a meal together every day.

Tech savy and mobile centric: Hispanics over-index for both smartphone (87 percent) and tablet (60 percent) ownership. They use devices in store and nearly 80 percent indicate that digital shopping tools have changed their shopping habits; 84.2 percent have searched for an online coupon based on a recommendation (compared to 70.6 percent of all consumers).

Organics and nutrition factor:Simmons research indicates Hispanics are more likely than non-Hispanics to look for organic or natural foods when shopping. Overall, Hispanics ages 18 to 29 are more likely than non-Hispanics to say that nutritional value is the most important factor in what food they eat.

In the last decade, the public relations industry has experienced an enormous amount of change. No longer do we rely on traditional media and mass outreach to carry the day. We now navigate a highly fragmented, always-on communication landscape to create real connections between businesses, brands and people.

Making and keeping those connections, however, can be a constant challenge in an ever-evolving environment. How can organizations break through in this hyper-connected world and build relationships in meaningful ways?